As predicted, the weather here has become remarkably warm and jolly unseasonable. One would, at this time of the year, expect one’s breath to be made visible by a late-spring chill. However, as this paragraph begins to takes shape, my eyes find themselves met with a sky of unbridled blue. We appear to have skipped spring entirely and charged head-first into summer – perhaps June will become the new winter. We shall yet join the Australians in having my namesake, jolly ol’ St. Nick, presented with a surf board and speedos, rather than coat and gloves.

There’s nothing quite like conforming to a stereotype. It feels almost satisfying to justify the observation that the default topic of conversation in Britain is the weather. Though, please forgive me if I scoot in a few minutes, since there is a cup of tea at brew. Indeed, there is not the time to go into any depth about the stereotypes we assign to Americans – that’s probably a good thing. Though, perhaps I shall live to regret that last sentence.

This dish is a bit of a mash-up between a winter soup and a summer stew – indeed, it makes for a comforting transition. The spice and warmth of the sausage fights off any chill that may remain in one’s bones and the thin, but delicious, liquor is light and eminently refreshing – something the kale only adds to. Surprisingly this was my first ever experience of kale and expectations hadn’t been particularly high; kale is a fairly unassuming ingredient. However, the depth of flavour experienced as a result of the kale was incredibly impressive. Indeed, one may expect that my love for kale and therefore the amount of use it receives shall henceforth remain only on an upward trajectory.

Chorizo and Kale Broth

Serves 5-6

Ingredients:

• 200g good-quality chorizo, thickly sliced

• 1.2 litres of chicken stock

• 1 onion, finely diced

• 4 cloves of garlic, mashed

• A dribble of olive oil

• Two generous handfuls of kale

Method:

1. Begin by frying the onion, garlic and chorizo in a dribble of olive oil. After allowing enough time for the chorizo to brown and for the meat to release some of its fat and oil transfer everything to a large pot.

2. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 5 minutes. Rinse and tip in the kale, serve immediately with a hunk of bread. Seasoning shouldn’t be necessary, though a good twist of black pepper wouldn’t do the dish any harm.

Cost: As you can see, this isn’t the most complex of broths. As such, the cost of making the entire batch should be around £1.70. I recommend that one makes one’s own chicken stock for this, since it’ll enhance the flavour and save a little money in doing so.